Integrated substrate processing system

• US 6,637,446 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2002
• Issued: 10/28/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
• Inventors: Wallis, Mike, Frost, David T., Jones, Oliver David
• Primary Examiner(s): Gulakowski, Randy
• Assistant Examiner(s): PERRIN, JOSEPH L
• Application Number:
  US10/211,714
• Publication Number:
  US 20020184720A1
• Time in Patent Office: 453 Days
• Field of Search: 134/1.3, 134/61, 134/63, 134/76, 134/135, 134/184, 134/702
• US Class Current: 134/184
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67028 for cleaning followed by drying, rinsing, stripping, blasting or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67046 using mainly scrubbing means, e.g. brushes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67057 with the semiconductor substrates being dipped in baths or vessels
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67178 vertical arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67207 comprising a chamber adapted to a particular process
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67745 characterized by movements or sequence of movements of transfer devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 134/902 Semiconductor wafer

Abstract

A system and methods for substrate preparation are provided. In one example, a wafer processing system includes a system enclosure that contains wafer processing apparatus within an isolated wafer processing environment. The wafer processing apparatus include a pair of immersion tanks in the lower front region of the system with a pair of wafer pickers behind the immersion tanks to extract wafers from the tanks. In the rear of the system, a pair of brush boxes are located in a lower region with a pair of dryer units positioned above the brush boxes. A robot arm is positioned between the pair of immersion tanks and the pair of brush boxes in a middle region of the system, and is configured to transition wafers between the processing apparatus. A pair of output shelves holding output cassettes is positioned over the immersion tanks. The output cassettes receive clean wafers after processing.

Claims

1. In an integrated substrate processing system, a substrate immersion tank and load/unload station, comprising:

an immersion tank configured to receive a plurality of substrates in a liquid bath;

a cassette hangar configured to receive the plurality of substrates in a location exterior to the immersion tank and configured to position the plurality of substrates in the liquid bath;

a substrate picker configured to extract the plurality of substrates one at a time from the liquid bath and position each one of the plurality of substrates exterior to the immersion tank, the positioning configured to enable each one of the plurality of substrates to be received by a substrate robot; and

a substrate output shelf positioned over the immersion tank and configured to receive the plurality of substrates after processing in the integrated substrate processing system, to position the plurality of substrates for removal from the integrated substrate processing system, and to be positioned to provide access to the immersion tank for receiving the plurality of substrates.

2. The substrate immersion tank and load/unload station of claim 1, wherein the immersion tank includes a plurality of megasonic elements configured to transmit megasonic energy through the liquid bath for processing the plurality of substrates.

3. The substrate immersion tank and load/unload station of claim 2, wherein the plurality of substrates received by the cassette hangar are contained within a substrate cassette, the substrate cassette being configured to attach to the cassette hangar, and the cassette hangar being configured to lower the substrate cassette containing the plurality of substrates into the liquid bath in the immersion tank.

4. The substrate immersion tank and load/unload station of claim 3 wherein the substrate picker is configured to provide a narrow scoop-shaped arm capable of being inserted into the substrate cassette adjacent to and extending below each one of the plurality of substrates, one-at-a-time, the substrate picker being further configured to index into position to support each one of the plurality of substrates, one-at-a-time, and to extract each one of the plurality of substrates, one-at-a-time from within the cassette in the fluid bath in the immersion tank.

5. The substrate immersion tank and load/unload station of claim 1, wherein the substrate output shelf is configured to be in one of a lowered position and a raised position, the substrate output shelf being in the raised position is configured to receive processed substrates from the substrate transfer robot and provides access to the immersion tank in order to receive substrates to be processed.

6. The substrate immersion tank and load/unload station of claim 5, wherein the substrate output shelf is configured to support a substrate output cassette, and the substrate output cassette is configured to receive processed substrates from the substrate transfer robot when the output shelf is in the raised position.

7. The substrate immersion tank and load/unload station of claim 5, wherein the substrate output shelf is configured to support a SMIF pod, and the SMIF pod is configured to receive processed substrates from the substrate transfer robot when the output shelf is in the raised position.